How to Forecast Your Staffing Needs for Peak Season

Stay ahead of the Spring Carnival season and beyond with smarter planning.

When it comes to events, activations, and seasonal demand — success doesn’t come from last-minute scrambles. It comes from planning, and with Spring Carnival, festivals, brand activations, and end-of-year events all on the horizon, now’s the time to get ahead.

At Platinum Staffing, we’re already receiving booking requests for the busiest time of year. So whether you’re organising a major race day, running back-to-back retail activations, or simply know your team will be stretched thin — here’s how to get your staffing strategy sorted, before the chaos begins.

1. Look at your year in review

Start by reviewing what your busiest months looked like last year. Ask:

• When were you understaffed?
  
• What roles were hardest to fill?
  
• What feedback did you receive from your internal team or customers?

This will help you identify patterns — and prevent repeat mistakes.

2. Map out known peak dates now

Create a simple calendar of confirmed events, activations, and deadlines between September and January. Even if the finer details aren’t locked in yet, giving your staffing partner early visibility allows them to start pencilling in talent.

Bonus tip: Don’t forget unofficial busy periods — like the week leading up to a major event or post-holiday warehouse resets.

3. Categorise by role type

Instead of just listing “staff needed,” break it down:

• Event staff / waitstaff
  
• Brand ambassadors
  
• Labourers & logistics support
  
• Forklift drivers
  
• Merch & retail staff
  
• Registration or conference crew
  
• Site crew / bump-in bump-out

This helps you (and your staffing partner) identify skill gaps and plan recruitment or training in advance.

4. Why Your Internal Team Shouldn’t Be Doing It All

One of the most overlooked peak season pitfalls? Expecting your internal team to absorb the surge.

Your core team should be focusing on delivering exceptional service, managing operations, and driving strategy — not scrambling to fill shifts, set up sites, or chase last-minute hires.

Outsourcing staffing allows your internal teams to:

• Focus on their core responsibilities
• Reduce burnout and sick leave
• Rely on qualified, pre-vetted support that shows up ready to work

Especially in industries like logistics, warehousing and events, external support is often the difference between burnout and breakthrough.

5. Factor in sick leave & staff burnout

Peak periods often overlap with sick leave spikes, public holidays, and general end-of-year fatigue. Don’t plan for the ideal — plan for the realistic by building in a buffer of casual or backup staff.

6. Secure your crew early

The best event staff, labourers, and promo talent get booked early — especially those with specific certifications like RSA, forklift licenses, or site inductions.

By confirming your staffing needs early:

• You get first pick of top-tier talent
• You avoid last-minute premium surcharges
• You can build consistency with familiar, returning staff

7. Partner with a staffing agency that understands your industry

Whether you’re in hospitality, logistics, retail, events or brand marketing — peak season demands more than just warm bodies. You need a partner who understands your environment, your audience, and your pace.

At Platinum Staffing, we specialise in providing fast, reliable, event-ready staff across:

• Melbourne
  
• Sydney
  
• Brisbane
  

From bump-in to major event days, our people are trained to hit the ground running.

Ready to start planning?

Let’s get ahead of the season together.
📩 Email us at bookings@platinumstaffing.com.au

Need help choosing the right staffing partner?
Download our event staffing checklist

Curious about the benefits of outsourcing your staffing?
Read: Why now’s the time to rethink your staffing strategy